Best of the USA Tour—San Fran to San Fran

It is possible to capture the complex, diverse flavour of a country and its 300-million-strong people in a single trip? Short answer: Yup. This epic sojourn across America from sea to shining sea (and back again) is, quite possibly, the most ambitious road trip you’ll ever take. Wide-open spaces, iconic monuments, sprawling national parks, quirky local slang, regional delicacies and the incredible cities you’ve always wanted to visit. It’s all here. Welcome to the US of A, where the ‘A’ stands for ‘Amazing.’

What's Included

This adventure boasts vans fitted with wi-fi for up to five users at a time. Check your email, upload a photo to Facebook, or send a tweet to your friends.

• Entrance fees to all National Parks with hiking and walking excursions. Guided city tours of San Francisco, Las Vegas and New Orleans. Guided city tours in Washington DC and New York, visit to Arlington Cemetery. "Beer tasting" in Milwaukee, "Underground Adventure" in Tonopah,
• 33 breakfasts, 28 lunches, 28 dinners. (Allow USD350-375 for meals not included.)
• Centrally located hotels (9 nts), hostel (1 nts), participation camping (33 nts)
• Air conditioned private touring van, walking
• Chief Experience Officer (CEO) throughout
• Small group experience; Max 13, avg 10.

Day 1 San Francisco

Arrive at any time.

Day 2 Yosemite NP (L,D)

Guided Tour of San Francisco—explore Fisherman's Wharf and the Golden Gate Bridge. Travel to Yosemite National Park. Look for wildlife while hiking amongst giant sequoias.

Day 3 Yosemite NP (B,L,D)

Full day to explore Yosemite National Park. Hike the many trails or rent bikes and explore off-road.

Day 4 Bishop (B,L,D)

Leave Yosemite via the scenic Tioga Pass. Witness tufa rock towers at Mono Lake. Travel to the town of Bishop high in the mountains. Stargaze from secluded hot springs.

Day 5 Death Valley NP/Las Vegas (B,L)

Visit desolate Death Valley. Then continue on to the lights of Las Vegas for a guided tour of the Strip. Indulge in an optional limo VIP tour, gamble or catch a live show.

Day 6 Las Vegas

Free day to explore Las Vegas.

Day 7 Grand Canyon NP (L,D)

Arrive at the Grand Canyon. Wander the trails, take an optional helicopter flight for a bird's-eye view or catch an IMAX movie. Return to the campsite for a campfire BBQ.

Day 8 Monument Valley (B,L)

Travel to Monument Valley. Learn about Navajo culture and take an optional Navajo-led jeep tour. Camp under the stars.

Day 9 Mesa Verde NP/Durango (B,L,D)

Drive to Mesa Verde National Park for insight into the ancestral Pueblo people. Enjoy a guided hike to the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde.

Day 10 Taos/Santa Fe (B,L,D)

Travel to the town of Taos. Stroll the funky downtown and relax at Kit Carson Park. Take an optional visit to historic Taos Pueblo. Continue on to Santa Fe.

Day 11 Santa Fe (B)

Free day to explore Santa Fe.

Day 12 Carlsbad (B,D)

Search for aliens as we pass through Roswell, New Mexico. Continue on to Carlsbad Caverns and hike this famous cave system. Watch nearly 400,000 bats exit the caves at sunset.

Day 13 Fort Stockton/San Antonio (B,L,D)

Discover Fort Stockton, Texas. Swim in the clear waters of Paradise Canyon. Travel to San Antonio.

Day 14 The Alamo/Houston (B,L,D)

Learn about the famous battle while at the Alamo. Explore historic missions. Follow the San Antonio River Walk.

Day 15 Lafayette/New Orleans (B)

Optional visit to an Acadian village in Lafayette, for a taste of the 19th century. Carry on to New Orleans with time for a guided city tour of New Orleans. Take an optional swamp tour or cruise the Mississippi on a steamboat.

Day 16 New Orleans

Free day to explore New Orleans.

Day 17 Memphis (L,D)

Arrive in Memphis, the birthplace of rock & roll. Visit the spot where Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated—now the National Civil Rights Museum. Experience the duck march at the Peabody Hotel and stroll along Beale Street.

Day 18 Nashville (B,L,D)

Enjoy an optional visit to Elvis Presley's Graceland. Explore Sun Studios or the Grand Ole Opry. Check out the nightlife in the local country bars.

Day 19 Wytheville (B,L,D)

Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway through the fresh clean air of the Appalachian Mountains. There's time for optional hiking along the trails.

Day 20 Shenandoah NP/Washington DC (B,L,D)

Pass through Shenandoah National Park—a natural treasure—on the way to Washington, DC. Pay your respects at John F Kennedy's grave.

Day 21 Washington, DC (B)

A full day to explore the city. The tour includes the White House, the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. Visit the National Mall and its museums. Walk through Georgetown or watch the sun set over the monuments.

Day 22 Philadelphia/New York (B)

Experience American history in Philadelphia. Continue on to New York for a city tour. See the sites.

Day 23 New York/Newburgh (L,D)

Consider optional boat tours or visits to the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero or the Empire State Building. Leave town and continue on to our campsite.

Day 24 Finger Lakes (B,L,D)

Explore the natural beauty of the Finger Lakes region. Marvel at Taughannock Falls. Take an optional canoe trip.

Day 25 Niagara Falls (B,L,D)

Marvel at Niagara Falls during the day and illuminated at night. Optionally, get wet about the 'Maid of the Mist' or visit the Cave of the Winds.

Day 26 Cleveland/Sandusky (B,L,D)

Visit the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland or ride roller coasters at Cedar Point amusement park.

Day 27 Chicago (B)

Arrive in Chicago. Enjoy a guided city tour. Take an optional trip into the clouds by heading up Willis Tower or just relax at Millennium Park or along the boardwalk of Navy Pier.

Day 28 Chicago

Full day to explore Chicago.

Day 29 Wisconsin/Winona (D)

Travel to Milwaukee and tour the historic Miller brewery. Continue on to Madison, Wisconsin and end the day at our campground beside the Mississippi River.

Day 30 Sioux Falls/Kennebec (B,L,D)

Travel through Sioux territory across the Great Plains and stop in Sioux Falls. Drive past Garretson—famous for the Devil's Gulch footbridge. Visit the "Corn Palace" in Mitchell.

Day 31 Badlands NP (B,L,D)

Travel to the Badlands via an 1880's town, then hike through the bizarre landscape of the national park. We spend the night at a cowboy ranch. Take a optional sunset horseback ride.

Day 32 Custer (B,L,D)

Stop at Wall Drug, a traditional roadside attraction, before reaching the Black Hills. Take the scenic route to Custer State Park where hiking is possible.

Day 33 Custer (B,L)

It's a day of historic sites including Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Keystone, a gold mining boom town, and the Crazy Horse Memorial. Enjoy a laser-light show or take an optional hot air balloon ride.

Day 34 Devil's Tower (B,D)

Take a self-guided walking tour of the Wild West in Deadwood. Try your luck at the Midnight Star Casino, then continue on to Devil's Tower via the Scenic Spearfish Canyon.

Day 35 Cody (B,L,D)

Drive past the alpine meadows of Bighorn National Forest pm the way to Cody, Wyoming. Take an optional visit to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center or a real rodeo.

Day 36 Yellowstone NP (B,L,D)

Arrive in Yellowstone—the world's first national park. Discover geysers, waterfalls and wildlife along the Beartooth Scenic Drive the Northern Loop.

Day 37 Yellowstone NP (B,D)

More highlights await you as the South Loop goes through some of the most famous landmarks of Yellowstone, including Old Faithful, Lake Village and Grant Village.

Day 38 Grand Teton NP/Jackson (B,L)

Admire lofty peaks at Grand Teton National Park. Take an optional boat ride across Jenny Lake to Inspiration Point. Carry on to Jackson for western shopping and wildlife watching. Embrace the Wild West at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar.

Day 39 Salt Lake City (B,L,D)

Enjoy a guided tour of Salt Lake City's Olympic venues and the Mormon Temple.

Day 40 Tonopah (B)

Take the 'Loneliest Road in America' through Nevada. Experience real darkness in a mine tunnel tour and enjoy the night skies and the country's best stargazing in Tonopah.

Day 41 Yosemite NP (L,D)

Drive the Tioga Pass through the spectacular views of Yosemite National Park. Hike to waterfalls and amongst giant sequoias—keep a eye out for black bears, deer or coyotes.

Day 42 Yosemite NP (B,L,D)

Full day to explore Yosemite National Park. Hike the trails or rent a bike.

Day 43 San Francisco (B)

Leave the wildlife and complete our full loop, back San Francisco's bright lights. Visit the sites, take an optional cable car ride,rent a bike and explore, or indulge in some optional sunset sailing.

Day 44 San Francisco

Depart at any time.